Hasselblad dealers in the U.S. and Canada, and perhaps other regions also, are now able to upgrade the firmware in the company's H1 (with an Ixpress digital back attached) or H1D cameras.

Previously, it was necessary to ship the product to a Hasselblad service centre for firmware updating; now, dealers have been equipped with a "toolbox" containing v9.1.0 firmware files, update instructions and the appropriate version of FlexColor software (v4.5b5 for Mac appears to be the only iteration that supports firmware updating currently). The firmware update process takes about six minutes.

A note to dealers stresses that the toolbox is not to be distributed to end users of an H1 or H1D system at this time (though it is possible for registered camera owners to download FlexColor 4.5b5 for Mac from the Hasseblad support pages and give the new software a whirl). Hasselblad's recently-announced H2, H2D, Ixpress CFH and Ixpress CF are also designed for firmware upgrades through FlexColor.

Version 9.1.0 of the firmware for the H1/H1D, released in August 2005, improves the battery status indicator and adds the frame number to the grip's display. Two menus have been renamed as well: the Imprint menu is now called [Image info], while the Info menu is now called [System status].